I haven’t set my alarm for before 5am since I worked in the admissions office of Beloit College and had to catch Van Galder busses to Chicago-O’Hare airport at ridiculous hours of the morning. Oh, those were the days (not really, especially regarding the bus times, haha.) Today, we did a pretty good job though. Got the teeth brushed, the breakfasts quickly distributed for immediate and non-immediate eating, the car packed, and off we went to the airport. We even got to see some gorgeous rays of sun peeking through the clouds on the way!
Side note: we wanted to take a photo to honor the immense importance of our frunk juice over the last 25 days. Each morning, we have filled these six 2-liter bottles with water to take on our journeys. We have frequently been in nature where there was no chance to fill our water bottles for hours so these have been a lifeline to keep hydrated and energized. Even though France, Spain, and Portugal (our next destinations) will likely have more access to water fountains or something similar, this frunk juice experience has shown us the benefits of having something so important as hydration under your own control. We don’t have to worry if there will be a water fountain and don’t have to deal with being cranky and dehydrated if there isn’t. As with all of Neverland, an ounce (or ton, in many cases) of preparation equals a world of fun and enjoyment for our day, avoiding common pitfalls. Anyway, we returned the car with the frunk (and don’t plan on getting another Tesla) and are not taking these empty bottles on the plane with us, so we will have to recreate frunk juice experience in continental Europe. Fare the well, frunk juice bottles…you have been an amazing part of our Icelandic journey!
The rest of the day was a very long blur. The flight was a bit over 4 hours, then time with luggage and such in the arrival airport in Barcelona, then another car fiasco (ugh!), before a long car ride to the Provence region of southern France. We have really come to understand the benefit of having a car to control your schedule, but boy these car rental situations have been a pain.
Firstly, we got to the car rental area for Europcar in Terminal 2, where we flew into. They didn’t have our reservation, finally finding it but saying it was for Terminal 1, which was separate and 10 minutes away. I told them that I just reserved it for this airport and would not have known what terminal we were scheduled for. They eventually figured it out. Then they stated that the car we booked, which stated that it was for 5 people and 4 pieces of luggage, was for 5 people and 4 very small European pieces of luggage and would have no chance of fitting our traveling menagerie worth of stuff. I explained what it said online and she said that I shouldn’t book through booking sites, but rather through actual rental company sites as the rental company can’t control what the booking site says. Point was, she said, the luggage would definitely not fit. Because we were renting for about two months, there was very few cars they could offer. We ended up having to go with what was basically the only option: an Audi station wagon that was (again, just like Iceland) over $2,000 more than our actual reservation. It sucked, royally, but we want to enjoy our time here, so what was there to do. They also tried to get us to take on more insurance even though we booked full coverage through the booking site, telling me that it is hard to deal with booking sites when you need things done with auto insurance. That one, I declined (but likely will only book through car rental company websites from now on!)
We finally got out of the airport and drove, with stops, about 7 hours to the Provence region of France. It was so amazing to drive across the Spanish/French border. It is one thing I love about the EU that I wish the US would do with at least Canada. Just drive right across, no checkpoint, no stopping, no nothing…just a sign like if you were crossing from Indiana to Ohio. (Though a bummer not to get our passport stamped, haha.)
We finally got to Lacon Provence and settled into what will be our home for the next 9 nights. (We are sharing a house with a family, where we have shared access to their kitchen and dining room, as well as the pool in the backyard, but have our own bedrooms, bathroom, and living room with foosball table downstairs.)
See you on the next mountain!
July 25, 2025 – Total Steps 6, 315 (Mostly Flat)
